Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals contains a series of movie segments and activities to assess or practice grammar points through fun, challenging exercises. Here you will find the movie segments, the lesson plans, printable worksheets with answer key for each activity, and the tips to develop your own grammar activities with the DVDs you have at home. New activities are posted regularly. Teaching grammar with movie segments is inspiring and highly motivating.

Dec 14, 2013

I'm going on vacation now. I really need to rest and recharge the batteries. Salvador and its beaches are waiting for me. I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a perfect 2014. New posts are coming up in January 2014. See you soon!

Dec 7, 2013

This is a love story. The premise of the plot - two twin planets with inverse gravities - is amazing. The setting is awesome and the scenes in which the characters are literally upside down are fascinating.

A. Watch the movie segment and rewrite the phrases below, using compound adjectives.

1. They are adapted to the basic laws of double gravity that will never change.

2. An object weight can be offset by the other planet because of the concept that its matter is inverse.

3. One day Adam climbed the mountains so high and experienced an event that changed his life.

4. The view from the mountains had a look that was very ominous.

5. Eden was a pretty girl that had blond hair.

6. Eden had a fall that threatened her life.

7. The movie had many scenes whose visuals are attractive.

B. Discuss these questions:

1. What are the complications of a relationship like the one of the characters?

2. What are the advantages?

3. How do you compare those planets to the Earth?

4. What does the Earth and those twin planets have in common? Aside from the gravity laws, how different are they?

Nov 30, 2013

The word etymology is derived from the Greek etumos which means real or true. The ending ology suggests the study/science of something, as in biology or geology. And that is the etymology of etymology. It is the study of the origins of words; how they evolved.

A few other parts of words derived from Ancient Greek are tele (long distance), micro (small), phone (speak), and scope (look). From these come such words as telephone, telescope, microphone, and microscope.

I. In small groups, come up with a definition for the following words. Then try to imagine its origin. Be creative!

ASSASSINS - UTOPIA - SALARY - ROBOT - CARNIVAL

II. Before watching the segment, make a guess about the origin and meaning of the following words:

Assassins:During the time of the Crusades the members of a certain secret Muslim
sect terrorized their Christian enemies. These acts were carried out under the
influence of hashish, and so the killers became known as hashshashin, meaning eaters or smokers of hashish. Hashshashin evolved into the word assassin.

Utopia:"Utopia" is ancient Greek in origin and means "Not" + "Place"; in
other words, "nowhere".

Salary:The ancient Roman word salarium has developed into today's word
salary, which is the money we earn from employment. The Roman
were
originally paid in salt. The Latin word for salt is sal.

Carnival: This word for a fun festival is related to such words
as carnal and carnivore. It originated as a word for a festival
in which the eating of meat was forbidden. Carnival literally means the
withholding of meat.

Nov 23, 2013

I have been adding posts about figures of speech and pragmatics. This one contrasts literal and figurative meanings, important nuances of language.

Figurative and literal are terms that signify whether language complies
with its accepted, dictionary definition (literal) or whether it
diverges from its generally accepted meaning by the use of symbolism,
exaggeration, or other device (figurative). Literal language strives for
one, clear meaning, while figurative language seeks to add layers of
meaning that require interpretation. The particular devices a writer
employs (for example, metaphor, simile, or personification) are referred
to as figures of speech.

1. Pair up students
and ask them to stand back to back. The Teacher says the name of a family
member and they have to turn around, clap their hands, touch their partner’s
hands and say the opposite of the word.

2. Ask students if
they have pictures of their family in their cell phone. If they don’t, ask them to get a drawing or
another project they’ve made about their family to show it to their partner
while they talk about their family. Model the sentences on the board.

EX.: This is my ___________. His name’s
_____________. He’s _____ years old.

This is my ___________. Her
name’s _____________. She’s _____ years old.

II. Students watch
the movie segment

III. Divide the
students into two groups and number them within their groups. Place pictures of
the movie characters facing down on the floor. Call a number and project the
sentences from the box below on the board. The students who are called have to
find the picture on the floor that completes the sentece correctly. He/She says
the sentence out loud and then all the students repeat it.

Oct 26, 2013

This is a wonderful segment with multiple possibilities, especially if you want to talk about TV shows. Because TV is a controversial topic, I used it to make students practice expressing opinions in a genuine manner, not using the expression "I think...".
I. Watch the movie segment and discuss these questions in small groups.

RATINGS: a list of television and radio programmes showing how popular they are

1. What were the changes she decided to implement in order to raise the TV shows ratings?

2. Why did the ratings go up?

3. Are there TV shows like the one in the segment in your city? What are they? Do you watch them? Why (not)?

II. Let's practice expressing opinions without saying the expression "I think...". Of course that saying it to express an opinion is fine, but you can enrich your language if you use certain ways to vary your language production. This is called functional language.
What can you say instead of "I think" ?
I wouldsay

In myopinion

To my mind

I am ofthe opinion that

I hold theopinion that

As far as I'm concerned,

I understand that

From my point of view,

I'm not sure, but I suppose

That's an interesting question,

I believe that

Now work in small groups and express your opinions about the questions below. YOU MUST NOT USE the expression "I think". You must also use all of the expressions above to answer the questions.

1. Do you think TV ratings help improve TV programs or does it have the opposite effect, lowering the quality of TV shows?

2. What do you think about her strategies to raise the ratings?

3. Do you think that the higher the TV show's ratings are the better the show is?

4. What were the best and worst changes she made in the TV show? Explain it.

5. What's your opinion about this kind of TV show?

6. Give examples of TV shows with very high TV ratings, but that you consider stupid.

7. Give examples of TV shows with very high TV ratings, and that you consider extremely clever.

Oct 19, 2013

Apologizing in English is functional language that makes a difference when dealing with native speakers of the language. I used this scene to lead in the topic. This activity can be used with any level. In the end of the instructions, there are apologizing functions, according to the students' level of proficiency.

I. Discuss these questions with a partner:

1. Why is it important to apologize?

2. Does it matter the way you apologize? How so?

3. Is it hard for you to apologize? Or does it depend to
whom you are talking?

4. How do you feel when someone does not apologize for
something wrong they have done?

Apologizing when you've broken a rule of social conduct --
from cutting in line to breaking the law -- re-establishes that you know what
the "rules" are, and you agree that they should be upheld. This
allows others to feel safe knowing you agree that hurtful behavior isn't
OK.

Apologies re-establish dignity for those you hurt. Letting
the injured party know that you know it was your fault, not theirs, helps them
feel better, and it helps them save face.

Apologizing helps repair relationships by getting people
talking again, and makes them feel comfortable with each other again.

A sincere apology allows you to let people know you're not
proud of what you did, and won't be repeating the behavior. That lets people
know you're the kind of person who is generally careful not to hurt others, and
puts the focus on your better virtues, rather than on your worst mistakes.

6. Look at some ways and reasons for apologizing:

Expressing Regret – Saying, “I am sorry.”

Accepting Responsibility – Admitting, “I was wrong.”

Making Restitution – Committing, “I will make it right.”

Genuinely Repenting – Promising, “I will not do that again.”

Requesting Forgiveness – Asking, “Will you forgive me?”

II. Here are some ways of apologizing, according to the
student's proficiency level:

Elementary

I apologize

I'm really sorry

I'm so sorry

I'm sorry

I'm sorry but...

Sorry

Pre-Intermediate

...is/was my fault

(I'm) sorry if...

I (really) must apologize

I hope you can forgive me (one day)

I really am so sorry

I wasn't doing my job

I'd like to apologize

Please forgive me

Intermediate

...was very...of me

(I know) my actions...

(Looking back), I (now) realise that...

(Please) don't be angry

I accept (full) responsibility

I am/feel (so) ashamed

I can understand how you feel (about...)

I do apologize

I don't know what to say

I really am most terribly sorry

I regret...

I take (all) the blame

Pardon me!

Please accept my/our apologies

Please excuse my behaviour/thoughtlessness/...

Upper-Intermediate

(I now realise that/I know) I shouldn't have done that

(I'm sure) you must be (very) disappointed in me

(Please) don't be mad (at me)/don't kill me

I accept that I am to blame/that it's my fault

I am (such) an idiot

I am sorry to have disappointed you

I apologize wholeheartedly/unreservedly

I cannot say/express how sorry I am

I have reflected on my actions and...

I know it was wrong (of me) (to...)

If I could turn back the clock,...

It was (a bit) insensitive of me (to...)

Please accept my sincere/sincerest apologies

There is (really/absolutely) no excuse for my
actions/behaviour/inaction/laziness

You are right to blame me

You must forgive me

Advanced

(I know) I have let myself/you (all) down (by...)

(I know) it was thoughtless (of me)

I can see how you might be annoyed (by...)

I can't believe I...

I don't know what came over me

I don't know what got into me

I just want the ground to swallow me up

I take (full) responsibility

I think I went a bit too far

I am/was in the wrong

I messed up

I would like to express my regret

I'm happy to take (my share of) the blame

If I could take it all back, I would

It was inexcusable

It's unforgivable, I know

Please don't hold a grudge/don't hold this against me

Silly me!

1. Describe the scene.

2. Why do you think the driver decided to do that.

3. Role Play the situations below:

Student A: You are the driver. Apologize for what you have
just done. You are truly sorry for what happened.

Student B: You are one the people running on the road. Accept
the apologies politely.

Student A: You are the driver. Apologize for what you have
done, but you think they should not be running where they were.

Student B: You are one of the people running on the road. Do
not accept the apologies. You think the driver was very rude.

Student A: You are the driver. Apologize, but do not be
sincere. You don't really think it was your fault.

Student B; You are one of the people running on the road.
Accept the apologies, but give him advice for safer driving procedures.

IV. Read the situations below and role play the situation
with a partner. Apologize for what happened.

1. Your friend traveled and asked you to water his/her
plants. You forgot to do it and all his/her plants died while he/she was away.

2. Your friend asked you to take care of the dogs, but you
can't do it because you are allergic to pets' fur.

3. Your friend asked you to take their of the children
during the afternoon, but you forgot to feed the baby.

4. You asked for your friend's car while yours was at the
mechanic. You crashed the car while parking it.

5. You borrowed some money from your friend. Now you don't
have money to pay back.

6. You parked your car in the handicapped space without
realizing it. When you finally picked up your car, someone on a wheelchair had
been waiting for you to leave the parking space for one hour.

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Movie Segments for Warm-ups and Follow-ups

A little about myself

I'm a teacher at Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasilia, Brazil. I'm a Branch Coordinator and Teacher Trainer as well. I really like movies and seeing them with "different" eyes, trying to see how I can use them in my classroom. Recently, I have dedicated my ideas to grammar activities with movie segments because, apparently, teachers use movies for many purposes, but grammar. Working with movie segments fosters students' production and interest. I truly believe that grammar exercises should be attractive. I have just developed a new blog for movie segments to enhance topic based classes, focusing on conversation, listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. If you have suggestions for the blogs and the activities, just say it!